The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights Alaska Air Group, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – September 30, 2025 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Alaska Air Group ALK, Delta Air Lines DAL and United Airlines UAL.

Here are highlights from Monday’s Analyst Blog:

Airline Stock Roundup: UAL, DAL & More

Alaska Air Group unveiled disappointing third-quarter 2025 guidance, citing issues related to higher fuel expenses and operational issues. Delta Air Lines also made headlines with its decision to launch flights from New York to Porto, Portugal. United Airlines, meanwhile, received certification from the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) for the first Starlink-equipped mainline aircraft.

(Read the last Airline Roundup here).

Recap of the Most Recent Important Stories

1. Alaska Air now projects its third-quarter 2025 adjusted earnings per share to be at the low end of its previously guided range of $1.00-$1.40. The downside has been attributed to higher fuel costs, coupled with operational challenges during the summer, which have weighed on unit costs.

Notably, ALK has been witnessing high West Coast refining margins due to ongoing refinery disruptions. This has led to an increase in fuel cost expectations to the range of $2.50–$2.55 per gallon from the prior view of nearly $2.45 per gallon.

Alaska Air currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

2. United Airlines announced that the FAA has certified its first mainline aircraft equipped with Starlink, with the inaugural commercial flight scheduled for Oct. 15. The certification comes less than five months after the Chicago-based carrier launched its first customer flight with Starlink on an Embraer 175 regional jet, and under a year since the airline signed the industry’s largest agreement of its kind with SpaceX. The partnership aims to provide MileagePlus members free access to Starlink’s high-speed, reliable Wi-Fi service across both mainline and regional fleets.

3. Delta Air Lines will launch its first-ever daily nonstop service between New York-JFK and Porto, Portugal, starting May 21, 2026. The new route will provide customers direct access to one of Europe’s most vibrant coastal cities.

This service marks part of Delta’s broader trans-Atlantic expansion, reinforcing the airline’s commitment to delivering more destinations, more flights and more elevated travel experiences for its customers.

Airline Stocks' Performance

Over the past week, almost all airline stocks traded in the red, resulting in the NYSE ARCA Airline Index declining 3.7% Over the past six months, the NYSE ARCA Airline Index has risen by 7.5%.

What’s Next in the Airline Space?

Delta will begin the third-quarter 2025 earnings season for airlines on Oct. 9. With air travel demand stabilizing, passenger revenues are likely to have been impressive in the soon-to-be-reported quarter. High labor costs, however, are likely to have hurt the bottom line.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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